Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with computer and Computers

Why does fullscreen make old programs look funny on my Windows 7 computer?

Pope Guilty — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:37:52 -0800

When I run some programs in full screen under Windows 7, they either crash or have odd colour effects. When I run Diablo 1 on Windows 7, some of the colours in the game are replaced by bright, flourescent oranges and greens and cyans and the like- and not in any apparent order, just big jumbles of them. The same thing happens when I play Alone in the Dark under DOSBox, though only at full screen- when I play at the default window size, the colors look fine. FCE Ultra, the NES emulator, simply crashes, which it didn't in XP. Messing about with compatibility settings doesn't seem to fix it. The really fucked thing is that when I take screen shots, everything looks proper and normal.

I'm on a Dell Inspiron 1545- 1366x768 screen, dual-core 2.0GHz processor, 3GB RAM.

Is there good sites that provide ranking of computer processors performance?

idyllhands — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:35:47 -0800

Is there good sites that provide ranking of computer processors performance? I am looking to buy a new PC, but am being patient for the right deal to come along. It would be nice to have a trustworthy source of which processors are "better." Any links to PC and/or laptop rankings is appreciated.

Why does my laptop think I'm pushing ctrl?

Pope Guilty — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:50:34 -0800

My Inspiron 1545 thinks I'm pressing ctrl and I don't know why. I picked up a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop awhile back, and the only problem I've had with it is that it frequently activates the ctrl key regardless of whether or not I'm actually pressing it- or even have my hands on the keyboard! Sometimes this is just annoying, like randomly crouching in an FPS or tab-targeting grabbing friends instead of enemies in WoW, but if I type a "w" while it thinks I'm pressing ctrl, I lose the Firefox tab I was working in! If I hit tab in Firefox, I frequently go to the next tab instead of the next field. Perhaps most bafflingly, it is only ctrl that this happens with; it never randomly types another character, nor does it ever wrongly activate shift or alt or any other key.

So far, I've talked to Dell about it; they sent me a replacement keyboard, but this did not resolve the problem. Googling indicates that many people are having this problem, but nobody seems to have any solutions (besides one suggestion, bizarrely, to reduce trackpad sensitivity, which did nothing).

Anyone out there know what's going on or have any ideas?

What to do with the Apple II?

niles — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:27:18 -0800

What do I do with several Apple IIs (and a Commodore, and maybe a few other "vintage" comptuers) that I have? Nostalgia has finally given way to practicality, and I need to do something about the basement shelf overflowing with computers older than I am - but I have absolutely no clue how to do it. It seems wasteful to throw out a perfectly working Commodore 64 (in the original packaging!), or any of several models of Apple IIs with boxes of related 5.25" disk software. I read about a team at MIT creating cheap computers out of Apple IIs for developing countries, and while I can't find any further information for them online, donating to a cause like that would be awesome. Short of that, what else can I do to clean out the house? What's the best thing to do with these computers?

I've been hacked.

atchafalaya — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:17:51 -0800

Someone hacked my laptop! What do they know now, how much can I find out, and how can I keep it from happening again? I woke up this morning and turned on my laptop (Toshiba, connected to wireless router to Cable internet) and discovered one of my (Unclassified) Army memos was now my desktop background.

I don't do anything special for security; just Panda Antivirus and Windows Defender.

I don't surf a lot of porn.

If they could change my background, could they log onto my Gmail account? I hate to admit it, but I use it as a password keeper. Oh my God, could they be reading this right now?

Last night, something popped up a window a couple of times, saying its scan was running slow because of my Internet connection. I assumed it was Panda. Panda was off this morning.

Compare and output greater value.

guptaxpn — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:57:05 -0800

Spreadsheet question: Display Greater Value? I know this is one of those "you-either-know-it-or-you-don't" situations, and I just don't know. Hokay, so here's ze situation:

There are two columns of numbers, A and B

A1 has a value of 10, and B1 has a value of 15.

What do I type into C1 to compare A1 and B1, and display the greater value of 15?

What are external links, and what value do they provide to my site ranking?

Nixie Pixel — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:07:40 -0800

What are external links, and what value do they provide to my site ranking? Are they important? What are external links, and what value do they provide to my site ranking? Are they important? I understand the basics of external linking, but I'd like to know a more in depth explanation. Thanks a lot in advance! =)

Need new motherboard for an emachine

socrateaser — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:13:15 -0800

Should we replace the motherboard and processor or buy a new computer? My husband's emachine (T6520) died and it needs a new motherboard and processor. Calls to the company have been useless and we can't find a supplier to replace these parts.

Should we replace them or just go with a new computer? Any ideas on where we can get new parts?

Tell me about current NAS manufacturers and technology?

loquacious — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 04:53:34 -0800

Tell me about Network Attached Storage ( NAS )? In particular what current manufactuers should I avoid for a typical 1 terabyte (or greater) RAID array? I'm also interested in general information and pitfalls for NAS devices and implementations. Deployment is for a mixed platform small office - about 8 seats. Platforms are XP, Vista and OS X.

I'm assuming SAMBA protocol for shares. Usage is low to medium - the office needs a data/file server for storing and reliably sharing typical office documents.

They emphatically do not need an actual server. There's no forseeable upgrade path to an in-office Exchange server or domain controller or the like - this is handled by a remote office through VPN. I could build them a PC-based solution using something like FreeNAS but that would be overkill, and I don't want to introduce a possibly flaky desktop/server into their office.

What NAS models or manufacturers are considered the most reliable? Best support? Best value?

Much thanks in advance!

Missing Mouse

crazylegs — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:27:22 -0800

Help me find my lost mouse! Help me save my antedeluvian computer yet again! My mouse has disappeared completely. It's an IBM Thinkpad running Windows ME unfortunately. I've tried an external mouse with no luck. Any other ideas?
Problem part 2: If it can't be fixed, I have another IBM Thinkpad that works except that the backlight behind the screen is fried. How hard would it be to transfer the backlight from the 1st computer to the 2nd, thus making one usable, if not exactly good, computer?

Thanks to all cybersaviours...

If it looks and quacks like a CS Degree, then is it a genuine enough CS Degree???

JoeXIII007 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:15:25 -0800

Does it really matter where you get the Computer Science degree from? I am currently going to Washtenaw Community College to (of course) save money while getting the all important education. Currently majoring in Math and Science with a concentration in Computer Science.

At the moment I have pretty much put my future plans on going to the University of Michigan just a little further westward (which, if you have not heard, is a pretty reputable University other than being part of the Big Ten, as far as I have known).

MUCH closer (I live just barely east of downtown Ypsilanti, MI) to home is Eastern Michigan University. Going there would undeniably save money on not only tuition and supplies but also gas using the car. For either university, I would be commuting to them.

Now I make the following realizations no matter what the decision:
- The CS biz changes practically daily, so I know I will have to constantly learn new stuff.
- As far as I know, computer scientists are in high demand (at least according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- The education I get at college lays a foundation more than anything (doing a pretty deep google search confirmed this) and anything in industry will have to be picked up along the way.
- Having noted that, I already know people without CS degrees already in the industry (particularly with .NET).

Therefore, it really comes down to the money, quality of college education and risk with sacrificing either, and thus why I ask MeFi: does it really matter where I get the CS degree from??? I have done a lot of research into this decision and I am more than anything looking for the final factor (which I cannot seem to grasp) that will set the decision in stone.

Trivia: Currently 19 years old, holding a 3.97 GPA (only shy of a 4 thanks to an A- for some reason), and have put myself through two semesters (Fall 07/Winter 08) of 18 credit hour loads (for a total of 36 in the college career).

Computer science? yea or nay?

frettchen — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:21:24 -0800

Should I major in computer science? If yes, what career options are available? I have always loved computers, and considered studying computer science in college. I first tinkered around with Linux when I was 14, loved working on the command line, and created websites with html and php. However, I abandoned that goal as I wanted to do things that make a difference in people's lives and work with people, not mainly by myself in front of a computer. I also haven't been that great in math, and that might hinder me from exceeding in a computing field.

I started my undergraduate studies with the goal of majoring in psychology, and I have been satisfied with my studies so far as I am fascinated by it. But there is always this nagging doubt in the back of mind - that I should do what I really love. I don't really see a future of a career in psychology, I don't think I am cut out to be a psychologist. I would rather do research, but then biological bases are a great impact on human behavior as well and I wouldn't be fully able to understand it (I really dislike chem, and I'm not too big of a fan of bio either). And I do not want to be just another psych major.

So, now I have finished my first year of studies, and I am thinking that I should study computer science as well. I will take my first class in the fall, and if I like it I'll try to minor or major in it (additionally with psych as minor or major).

But - what careers are available to computer science majors besides database administrators and obviously being a programmer? I'm female by the way, if that is relevant.

Computer hardware review sites?

ErWenn — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:25:56 -0800

Is there a website that tests computer hardware like Tom's Hardware does, but publishes comprehensive comparison artilces more regularly? I'm looking to do some serious upgrades to my system, but I've been out of the loop for awhile, so I need good information that compares the latest CPUs, video cards, etc. Tom's Hardware does excellent tests, but it's pretty rare (maybe once a year, at the most) that they'll do a comprehensive comparison of the various options that are available, taking into account performance, cost, etc. That makes it hard for me to use the site without reading through tons of articles. I'm looking for a site that publishes comparison articles for computer components regularly (maybe four times a year?). CNET's not terrible for full systems, laptops, PDAs, etc., but there's not much info on individual components.

Help me Geek Squad these laptops!

whiskey point — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:00:37 -0800

2 used laptops: what to do with them? One will be new to me (from my wonderful girlfriend), one will be new to my grandma (from me) Part 1:
I'll be getting a ~2 year old Toshiba Satellite laptop, a pretty basic model with probably 512 mb of RAM and a smallish hard drive (no big deal, I have a My Book and am willing to upgrade RAM). What would you do with this machine, that has been taken care of very well - no downloads, etc., and only used for typing papers and surfing the web? I'm down for anything-I just want to make sure I optimize this computer as soon as possible. I'm into web surfing (generally 10-15 Firefox tabs open at a time), watching DVDs, and typing papers on the go (I have MS office). I'm also into photography, burning DVDs, and listening to a ton of music on itunes-but I deal with all of that on my high(er) performance desktop. Would Photoshop kill this machine? What are some of the applications you can't live with out? This will basically be a backup, take to school, and travel computer for me.
Part 2:
I'm going to give my grandma my 4.5 year old Compaq 2100. It's not in the best shape (I can no longer watch movies on it, probably a software problem I haven't taken the time to fix) and it runs slow. I'm thinking I'll re-install XP and start over from scratch-but what should I do after that? Does your grandma have a computer? She's kind of wary, but she's willing to give it a try. I'd like to make this as simple for her as possible: a gmail account, something to play DVDs, maybe something to help her with recipes-either looking them up or storing them, and any other suggestions you guys can throw out for me.

I'm sure some creeping on the MeFi archives would have helped a little, but I wanted to kill two birds with one stone and get both of these computers working to the best of their abilities.

my computer screen is too small!

arcadia — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:25:22 -0800

Help! My computer screen has shrunk and I can't make it big again! Calling all geeks and dweebs: help me fix this problem so I can continue using my ancient and hammered computer. Some sort of unexpected shutoff happened, and now my computer screen is 640 x 480 pixels, with about 2" black space on all sides. Also the colours are set at 16 colours. If I click Control Panel > Display > Settings, I'm taken to the place where I'm apparently supposed to be able to fix these things. However the only colour setting offered is 16, and the little 'Screen Area' sliding thingamajig is stuck at the far left and won't move when I try to move it with my cursor. What gives?
It's an IBM Thinkpad 6000 series, running Windows ME.

Question about shipping a computer

Ndwright — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 11:36:34 -0800

Help me get my iMac across the Atlantic ocean On the Apple website under the new iMac's tech specs it gives a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet. I'll soon be traveling over to Europe for a prolonged period of time and intend to take my iMac with me, but because of the altitude restriction, I'm hesitant to just put it in my checked baggage. It's too large to put in my carry-on bag, so I was wondering, does anyone know of a way to safely ship the computer?

Sending E-mails with PHP

kaozity — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 06:57:35 -0800

How do I get PHP to send an e-mail. Is there a way to do it without recompiling PHP/Apache. If not, how do I recompile PHP/Apache on a linux system to do this? How do I get PHP to send an e-mail. Is there a way to do it without recompiling PHP/Apache. If not, how do I recompile PHP/Apache on a linux system to do this?

Ideally, I would like to find a way without recompiling my software, but if there is not other way, I can recompile the software.

Does anyone know of a way to create a line graph using html or javascript?

kaozity — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:43:57 -0800

Does anyone know of a way to create a line graph using html or javascript? I need to create a line graph with html or jave script without paying a company $99 for their javascript it (e.g. swiftchart). The graph needs to handle multiple trends in the same graph... meaning that I would like to see 3 or more lines going accross in one graph.

Any Help?

Am I killing my laptop by holding it sideways?

Rock Steady — Fri, 25 May 2007 16:21:09 -0800

Am I killing my laptop by holding it sideways (like a book)? I have found I greatly prefer reading long pieces of text on my laptop by rotating the screen 90 degrees and holding the laptop sideways like a book -- with the keyboard and touchpad as the left-hand "page" and the screen on the right. Does this pose any problems for the long-term health of my lappy? I'm particularly thinking about the hard drive -- is it designed to only be operated in a horizontal position? Any other problems I'm not thinking of?

It is an Acer Aspire 5100 running Vista, if that matters.

Could a non-gamer benefit from buying a "Gaming PC?"

creative — Sat, 05 May 2007 17:28:28 -0800

I'm a power user, but I am NOT at all a gamer. Would I still benefit from buying a "gaming PC" (Dell XPS 710)? Or, would I just be an idiot who wasted money on something they didn't need/won't use? I'm looking to buy my first computer since 2001, and I want to go all out. I mean ALL out. This is a combination work and play purchase that I know will last for years, so I don't mind going a bit nuts spending money on it.

Being a fan of Dell for quite a while, I've been looking at the Dell XPS 710, which appears to fit all of my qualifications for speed, power, and all around insanity. After doing some customizing, the price comes to around $3500.00.

Thing is, every possible review or mention of it refers to it as a "gaming PC."

I am not a gamer.

I am however somewhat of a power user. I'll be using it for video editing, messing around in Photoshop, and doing other similar activities all while having a million tabs open in Firefox.

My question is, will I benefit from having this computer if I'm not going to use it for gaming purposes?

Like I said, I don't mind the money and I do want crazy speed/power. I just don't want to be like a rapper on Cribs who puts an elevator in his Hummer.

Thoughts and opinions would be very much appreciated.

Wiping a drive.

517 — Sat, 05 May 2007 07:40:58 -0800

I am trying to wipe my hard drive... so that I can sell it. I have a copy of Killdisk and a copy of my OS but I get the feeling there is more to the task than wiping the drive and reinstalling the OS. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Windows XP and me.

517 — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:20:43 -0800

I have a legal copy of Windows XP running as my OS right now, the problem is I no longer have the original installation disks. Is there a way for me to somehow make a copy ... of XP so I can reinstall it if I need to?

(Yes, I know this is a borderline question so if it gets deleted I won't take it personally.)

Outlook Taskbar Icon Go Bye Bye?

antifuse — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 07:09:45 -0800

Where has my Outlook New Mail notification on the taskbar gone? Ok - I'm using Outlook 2003 SP2 on my XP machine here at work. It *used* to be the case that whenever a new mail message arrived, a little envelope icon would show up in my taskbar. This was great, because if I left my desk for 20 minutes and a new mail arrived, I wouldn't have to switch to Outlook to see if I had any new mail. However, at some point in the last 6 months or so, this icon just stopped appearing! I still get the "New Mail Desktop Notification" that pops up a little message summary, but that fades and disappears after a couple seconds (and sometimes just doesn't show up at all). I've scoured the settings, and can't seem to find what causes the little icon to show up in the taskbar! Anybody have any ideas?

Best way to climb the computer career ladder?

joshrholloway — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:53:32 -0800

What's the best way to get my foot in the door or "create my own door" in a computer security-related field without a degree? I am 19 years old and just really starting out in the "adult" world. I have a pretty decent job right now but I'm getting married in about 17 months and I would like to be in a better position by the time I start my family.

I've always been interested in computers as a career, and more recently I've delved a bit into the world of computer security. I think my ideal job would be a computer forensics expert, but that may just be a pipe dream. One way or another I want a career, not just a job, in that field or a related one.

The catch is that I don't have a degree of any kind and I don't plan on getting one unless I completely hit a brick wall. Other than my high school diploma (4.02 GPA and 32 comp ACT score, if that matters), I have a year (or about 23 credits) of college under my belt, but it just wasn't for me.

The long and short of it is this: what is the best path that I can begin today in pursuing the career that I want? I don't have any on-the-job experience in computers other than selling them at a big-box store for a couple months, but I am self-taught and very knowledgeable in a wide variety of computer and technology topics, and I'm a fast learner. Would an A+ (and then Network+ or Security+) certification be a good idea? Is there any other good way to get even an entry-level position and work from there? I realize I'm going to have to work my way up, but what kind of positions should I look for to get where I want to be?

Laptop on the cheap. What are the minimum specs?

Leonard of Vince — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 13:30:29 -0800

Shopping for a cheap used laptop: What are the minimum specs I should be looking for with respect to CPU, RAM, HD? I'm planning to use WinXP (maybe I'll settle for 2K), Open Office, and FireFox (including some AJAX-heavy web sites such as gmail, Google Docs, del.icio.us), with a wifi card. And not much else. I want to avoid "I'm always waiting for this stupid slow computer!" but not spend much more than the minimum needed to avoid that.